Thailand

THE NEW AMBASSADOR of the Kingdom of Thailand His Excellency Mr Pisanu Suvanajata arrived in London in March this year with his wife Thipaya-suda. He’s observed London is “a genuinely cosmopolitan city and global centre. What remains unchanged is the friendliness of the people and the balanced way of living. These are key factors that keep London unique, and one of the most attractive capitals of the world.” An amenable man, the Ambassador particularly enjoys gatherings – diplomatic, social, sporting or otherwise – that allow him “to get to know British people and society.”

So far, Mr Suvanajata’s activities in the UK have meant he’s been “learning new things every day,” something that’s always been important to him as his mother was a teacher. A government official for the Ministry of Agriculture, he recalls joining his father in the countryside where he was working with poor farmers. “Meeting local people, I learnt so much about Thailand, which has helped greatly progress my career.”

Diplomacy was a field that offered further opportunities to learn, and to use his experience and knowledge for the benefit of the societies that he’s posted to.  “In other words, as a Thai diplomat in the UK, I shall work not only for my country, but also for British society,” he clarifies. “In countries that are less developed than Thailand, there are numerous things that we can share. Whereas in countries that are much more advanced than ours, we have so much to learn. I know how to engage with them for the development of my country.”

Joining the civil service in the Prime Minister’s Office in 1984, Mr Suvanajata was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986 as attaché in the Department of Political Affairs. His first tour of duty was  as First Secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, (1997-99).  He  was  then transferred “As our interdependence becomes stronger, the national interest of each country in the region becomes further intertwined.”  The Ambassador goes on to say that while working in London, he will demonstrate to potential investors that they will “benefit further if they use Thailand as a hub to reach other countries in the region.”

From 2010, Mr Suvanajata served a two year posting as Consul- General in Guangzhou, the People’s Republic of China. Before becoming Ambassador in the UK, he served as Ambassador in Yangon, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (2012-16). As Thailand’s immediate neighbour, there was a lot of work to do in Yangon. His role was to make “Thailand-Myanmar relations healthy. But what are the indications of healthy relations? It is simply an ability to turn some issues that are previously impossible to a possibility; transforming a difficult task to a less different one, and eventually [finding a] solution.” Accordingly, he overcame various challenges during his term, “such as Thailand’s involvement in the peace process in Myanmar. I am happy that we established a real sense of friendship where our two sides can talk openly and candidly when they share the basis of mutual interests.”

Aside from highlighting investment opportunities in Thailand and the region, what are Mr Suvanajata’s key plans and priorities as Ambassador in the UK? “Given our traditional ties, I feel that the Thai and British people are like partners that love each other, but don’t know each other so well. My efforts will be dedicated to making both sides know and understand more of each other, particularly potential areas of cooperation for mutual benefits, and business opportunities that both sides can offer.”

He’s aware that Thailand has “a very refined diplomacy,” which has its limitations. “But in a rapidly changing world, there are numerous developments that require adjustment to form an efficient diplomacy. One of the challenges is how to make best use of digital diplomacy in order to achieve foreign policy objectives and for constructive benefits for the public.”